Indian ascetics

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

>Found the first paragraph to be informative.  Unfortunately, the rest
>appears to be in jest or a typographical error.
>

Not really. It was more a statement of concern about the religious values of
Sannyasa and how what you see in photographs is not necessarily what is
central to Hindu tradition(s). If you still doubt it, go to India and talk
to Nathpanthi and Dasnami Mahants.

>>They are quite likely to be people who have migrated into towns and
>> >cities
>>in search of employment, but who have found being a mendicant >a better
>>business proposition.
>
>Of course, a skeletal body; weather beaten, insect bitten, dehydrated skin;
>calloused soles; matted hair etc clearly indicate a much 'better business
>proposition.' Highly recommended as a choice alternative vocation or even
>as
>a supplement to your day job!

I'm not trying to portray all Indian sadhus in a negative light. Just that
many of them, especially in cities, are not necessarily what they appear to
be. Yours is a comment on Indian poverty. Mine was a comment about how some
use this poverty and mix it with the appearance of an ascetic in order to
survive. The average Indian has his own ways of evaluating who is real and
who is fake, but those who take photographs of exotic India look at it from
a totally distorted perspective. If you really haven't seen the photographs
of pot-smoking sadhus, walk into a bookstore and look at the "Art" or
"Eastern Religions" sections. Or for that matter, at an issue of New Yorker
magazine from not too long ago. I believe there was a little comment about
it on the RISA list recently.

Vidyasankar
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